A Matter of Trust
by New Dawn Rising
Summary: A Romy taking place after they are married. A stand-alone one-shot exploring trust issues.


_**A/N: I originally wrote this for my now former boyfriend, after an argument we had, not too long ago. I decided to publish it as a one-shot, to show to show that no relationship is perfect; that every one encounters bumps along the way.**_

Rogue awoke groggily to the sound of Kitty pounding on her door. She glanced over at the clock through swollen eyes that felt like they had a ton of grit in them, every time she blinked. 2:00 PM, it read. Never had she slept that late before in her life! As the events of the previous night played through her mind once more, her shock at the late hour became a hard, twisted knot of pain that settled in the pit of her stomach and she lay back down on her bed once again, ignoring the sounds around her.

"Rogue, open this door now or I'm coming in there!" Kitty warned from the other side.

Rogue pulled her pillow over her head to try to drown out the sound, but she heard Kitty huff impatiently, before phasing through her door.

"Rogue, you look terrible!" Kitty exclaimed as she gasped and put her hands over her mouth in shock. She hadn't meant to blurt that out, but the sight of her best friend worried her. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," she stammered as Rogue attempted to glare out at her from under the pillow. But it was true; usually Rogue was more meticulous with her appearance.

"Ah don't wanna talk, Kit. Just leave meh be!" Rogue growled, throwing the pillow at her and pulling the blanket up over her head.

Kitty caught it and tossed it back at her. "Oh no you don't! You're not gonna stay in that bed, feeling sorry for yourself over whatever happened. Don't make me get Logan to come up here and get you out, because you know I would _so_ do it if I had to." She stood with her hands on her hips and matched Rogue glare for glare.

"Alright, alright!" Rogue replied irritably and crawled out of bed, stalking over to her vanity and yanking out the chair before flopping into it.

"That's a little better," the brunette conceded. "So what did happen last night?" Kitty asked softly, taking in Rogue's face. Her make-up was streaked and her eyes were red and puffy.

"Just cause Ah'm outta bed doesn't mean Ah'm gonna talk about it. Ah-Ah can't," she ended quietly, studying her nails. After a moment, she sighed. "Have ya seen Remy around?" she inquired, peering at Kitty as if the girl's answer was some kind of a lifeline.

"No, not since last night," Kitty answered gently, seeing Rogue's face fall. "He arrived not long after you came in and went right upstairs. No one's seen him since." She watched as Rogue's eyes pooled with unshed tears, but just as quickly, she fought them back.

"Okay, thanks Kit. Ah'm gonna get a shower an'….Ah don't know…." Rogue shook her head and went over to her dresser.

"Rogue, what's going on?" Kitty noted that Rogue took out her leather pants and set her boots out.

"Ah'm gonna do what Ah shoulda done last night." Rogue took out a towel and stepped into the bathroom.

"Okay…." Kitty wondered what that was, but she simply said, "If you, need anything, let me know."

Rogue stuck her head out the door. "Ya know what, there is. Could ya cover for meh with Logan? Ah don't want him interruptin' anythin'."

"Oh, okay…Umm…I'll just tell him you went for a ride to clear your head. Everyone's been worried about both of you."

"Truthfully, so am Ah," Rogue murmured as she went inside and shut the door. The last sound Kitty heard was the shower being turned on.

Remy sat on a picnic bench by the shore, chucking stones into the surf. He didn't realize that one small gesture of kindness would have such an impact. He was so hurt after their argument last night that he was considering not going back to the Institute.

"_Why should I go back? Hell, I know Scotty an' ol' Logan would be glad t' see me go."_ That was his thought as he uttered a humorless chuckle and charged the stub of his cigarette with a miniscule amount of his energy. He gave a tiny smirk as he tossed it and it exploded with a 'pop'. While it was true that he had pretty much quit smoking, he allowed himself an occasional one for…stressful situations. This seemed to fit into that category neatly. He sighed and raked his hands through his hair, at a loss about what to do next.

_The night had started off well enough. Rogue had her 'girls' night' with some of the other females of the mansion, while he'd gone to Harry's for a poker tournament. Naturally, he won and bought a round of drinks for the bar's occupants. His eyes caught a movement at one of the pool tables. A young lady that had to have been around Rogue's age was being manhandled by one of the men who had a little too much to drink. As Remy rose to go and help her, Harry came out from behind the bar. Together, they had 'convinced' the man to leave, a cab having been called for him and Remy had been asked to take the girl home. _

_It wasn't his fault that the girl lived out in the country, out past the mansion and she'd hitchhiked to town to have some fun, since her father wouldn't let her have the car. But Rogue saw them as they drove past the mansion and assumed the worst, so she waited up for him to get back and chewed him out one way and back another. She'd really hurt him with her accusations and distrust of his actions, even after he'd tried to explain that nothing of that sort never happened. It never even crossed his mind, to be honest. Rogue was his wife, after all. He loved her deeply and didn't understand why she'd go off like that. After she'd slammed her way into the house and up to their room, he was too shocked to even move for a few moments. Eventually, with a heavy heart and troubled mind, he went upstairs, changed his mind, 'borrowed' a spare room and leapt off the balcony, went back to his bike and roared off, ending up here._

"Dat's a side o' her I don't care t' ever see again, dat is if I stay," he murmured as he rested his chin on his fists and stared out at the water, hearing the approaching motorcycle, but not acknowledging it.

At the sight of him on that bench, Rogue's heart broke. She knew that it was jealousy that brought out all those horrible things she'd said to him last night. She loved Remy more than her own life and didn't like this side of herself at all. Rogue closed her eyes briefly as remorse stabbed at her. She walked a bit closer to him.

"Remy?" she entreated softly.

He gave her the sparest of glances and returned to staring out at the waves. "Rogue."

She sighed. "Ah am so sorry, words can't say how sorry Ah am for how Ah acted last night. There's no excuse for it. Jealousy got the best of meh an' Ah overreacted. Can ya ever forgive meh?"

"Don't know, y' hurt me pretty bad wit' sayin' dat I was cheatin' on y', when dat wasn't de case at all! Don't y' know by now dat I would never do dat t' y'?" He questioned harshly and turned flashing red on black eyes toward her.

"Ah know that, Remy. It's mah own insecurities Ah'm dealin' with here. Ya know Ah've always had problems with trustin' people."

"Oh, so now y'r sayin' dat y' don't trust me? After all dat we've been t'rough?"

Rogue winced at the pain that roughened his voice and gave his eyes that wounded quality. "No, Ah'm not sayin' that. Ah'm sayin' that you are one of the few people that Ah do trust. It didn't seem that way last night, but Ah do."

"Huh, got a funny way o' showin' it." He muttered as he looked away from her and took out a deck of cards, shuffling them mindlessly.

"Ah know, Ah am so ashamed of accusin' ya of that."

A moment later, Rogue sat by him on the bench part of the picnic table, but made no attempt to touch him. She knew that now was not the time. This was the first time in quite a while that she had felt this alone. The worst part of it was that she knew it was all her fault this time. No, there was no easy way out of this one. Heaving a soul-deep sigh, she bowed her head.

At hearing her sigh, Remy happened to sneak a glance at his wife, only to see tears seep from beneath her lashes. He knew that it took a lot to make her cry. As much as he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss them away, there was still that wounded part of his emotions that wouldn't allow that, not yet.

Instead, he looked at her and asked, "What is it, Anna?"

Rogue turned her face to him and looked up into those eyes she adored. "Ya don't know how sorry Ah am for hurtin' ya like that, Remy. Ya don't know how much Ah genuinely regret everythin' Ah said. Ah can't bear the thought of losin' ya." At this, she turned around, buried her face in her hands and cried bitterly.

In a fluid movement, he rose from the bench and stood before her. "Look at me, Anna," he commanded softly.

When she didn't comply right away, he reached over and took her hands in his own, removing them from her face. As she tried to turn her face away, he placed his fingers under her chin and turned her face toward his. "I want y' t' look at me," he demanded, gently, but firmly. "What y' t'ought was happenin' wasn't true," he began and shushed her as she opened her mouth to agree. "Let me finish. All I did was take her home, dat's it, end o' story. How could y' t'ink dat I would cheat on y'? I love y', Anna! I don't know what t' t'ink at dis moment; I need time t' work dis out in my mind. Don't wait up for me." He took a lingering look at her, then climbed on his bike and rode off. Rogue stared after him sorrowfully, then buried her face in her arms and sobbed anew.

Remy rode out in the country for awhile as thoughts and possibilities played through his mind. He didn't want to leave Rogue, he loved her. It just hurt like hell that she'd doubted him. He turned toward home and parked in the garage, entering the Institute in the same manner that he left. When the hall cleared, he opened the door and peered out. Seeing no one, he moved swiftly down the hall to their room and slipped inside, softly closing the door behind him. Deciding that a shower was the first order of business, he went into the bathroom and grabbed a towel, undressing and stepping under the cascade of hot water.

While he was in there, Rogue flew up to their balcony. She didn't want to encounter anyone by entering the traditional way. Didn't want to have to face the questions that she was sure were coming. Rogue hung her jacket up and stripped down, changing into a simple soft and silky chemise and sat on the bed. Her eyes fell on their wedding photo and she picked it up, a sad smile coming to her face. She tenderly stroked it, remembering how blissful they were that day and in the days afterward. Her attention was so absorbed in the photo, she never noticed the bathroom door opening. Next thing she knew, Remy was standing above her.

"Will we ever be this couple again, Remy?" she questioned softly, looking up at him with soft emerald eyes.

He sighed, sitting down by her. "Don't know, chere. Depends on if we t'ink t'ings are worth workin' out an' if we're willin' t' put de effort into it. I trusted y', Anna, an' I t'ought y' trusted me too." The look he gave her was enough to break her heart all over again.

"Oh, Ah do, Remy! Ah do trust ya. Ah wanna work at makin' things right between us again. Last night, ya saw meh at mah worst an' Ah'm gonna do mah best ta make sure that doesn't happen again. Ah hope that Ah can restore your trust in meh…someday, but Ah love ya with mah whole heart an' can't stand the thought of ya leavin' meh." At this, her voice broke and her eyes filled.

Remy regarded the woman before him for a few heartbeats before reaching out and gathering her into his arms. "It'll take time for me t' be able t' trust y' again, but if y'r willin' t'make de effort, den dis is wort' anot'er shot, oui?"

"Yes Remy, Ah will. Ah'll do whatever Ah have to ta restore your trust in meh, Ah promise." She rested her head against his chest as he kissed the top of her head.

"Alright, den let's get some sleep, Rogue. It's been one hell of a day an' I'm beat."

Rogue nodded and reluctantly moved from her favorite place, to move the covers and climb in underneath as Remy followed suit. A few minutes later, she felt Remy shift and reach over for her, pulling her against his side. Sleep soon followed for them both.


End file.
